Bachelor of Arts in Theater

Dancing At Lughnasa by Brian Friel, 2012-2013 Eldred Season

The Bachelor of Arts program in theater offers concentrations in acting, design/technical theater, dramatic writing, directing and general theater studies. Students intending to major in Theater will need to complete forty credit hours of coursework. Most students will opt to take many classes beyond the requirements in order to enhance their knowledge and improve their skills. Students interested in declaring a specific concentration of study can satisfy the additional requirements listed below in order to fulfill a Bachelor of Arts with a specific concentration; students who do not declare a concentration will receive the designation of “General Theater” on their transcript. The basic course requirements for all theater majors are as follows:

Performance Courses

12

Students must take all four of the following courses:

THTR 110

Introduction to Theater

3

THTR 102

Acting I for Majors

3

THTR 103

Acting II

3

THTR 330

Play Directing I

3

Design Courses

6

All students must take the following course as a prerequisite, preferably in the spring of their freshman year:

THTR 111

Introduction to Design

3

Then students must take one of the following:

THTR 223

Introduction to Scenic Design

3

THTR 224

Introduction to Lighting Design

3

THTR 225

Costume Design

3

History & Literature Courses

12

Students must take all four of the following:

THTR 228

Development of Theater: Beginnings to English Renaissance

3

THTR 229

Development of Theater: Renaissance to Romanticism

3

THTR 327

American Theater and Playwrights

3

THTR 329

Modern and Contemporary Drama

3

Practicum Credit Hours

7

THTR 185

Theater Practicum:

Students are required to enroll in THTR 185, a one-hour practicum credit, accumulating seven (7) credits during their eight semesters at CWRU. Students will enroll in THTR 185 each semester unless otherwise directed by the department’s Director of Undergraduate Studies. Any exemptions to this requirement (receiving two [2] credit-hours in one semester or not enrolling in THTR 185 for a semester) must receive approval from the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

Senior Capstones

3

Students must take one of the following:

THTR 331

Play Directing II

3

THTR 390

Theater Design and Technology Capstone

3

THTR 393

Senior Capstone: Dramaturgy

3

For a concentration in a specific area, students must take the courses listed:

Concentration in Acting

9

THTR 231

Acting III: Contemporary Technique

3

THTR 232

Acting IV: Classical Technique

3

THTR 375

Voice for the Stage I

3

Concentration in Design/Technical Theater

9

The two remaining design courses (excluding the course taken to fulfill the core requirements) from THTR 223,THTR 224, and THTR 225

6

THTR 226 or THTR 227

Stage Makeup or Stage Management

3

Concentration in Directing

9

THTR 331

Play Directing II

3

THTR 227

Stage Management

3

THTR 314

Advanced Playwriting or an additional design course (THTR 223, THTR 224, or THTR 225) not taken to fulfill the core requirements of the major

3

Concentration in Dramatic Writing

9

THTR 312

Playwriting

3

THTR 314

Advanced Playwriting

3

THTR 316

Screenwriting

3

Elective Courses

Please note that some of the courses that appear on this list also appear under the requirements list. This is because of the various theater major degree paths available.

THTR 100

Introduction to Acting

3

THTR 105

Introduction to Stagecraft

3

THTR 201

Movement for the Actor

3

THTR 223

Scenic Design

3

THTR 224

Lighting Design

3

THTR 225

Costume Design

3

THTR 226

Stage Makeup

3

THTR 227

Stage Management

3

THTR 231

Acting III: Contemporary Technique

3

THTR 232

Acting IV: Classical Technique

3

THTR 306

Acting V: Camera Technique

3

THTR 311

Audition Laboratory

1

THTR 312

Playwriting

3

THTR 314

Advanced Playwriting

3

THTR 316

Screenwriting

3

THTR 323

Topics in Design

3

THTR 334

Shakespeare: Histories and Tragedies

3

THTR 335

Shakespeare: Comedies and Romances

3

THTR 375

Voice for the Stage I

3

THTR 376

Voice for the Stage II

3

THTR 385

Rehearsal and Production

1-3

THTR 386

Rehearsal and Performance

1

THTR 397

Honors Studies I

3

THTR 398

Honors Studies II

3

THTR 399

Independent Study in Theater Arts

1-3

Departmental Honors in Theater

Majors wishing to take a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in theater must make written application to the director of undergraduate theater studies no later than May 1 of their junior year. Students must have a minimum 3.25 overall grade point average and a minimum 3.75 grade point average in theater. Acceptance into the honors program is contingent upon faculty support and recommendation by the director of undergraduate theater studies and the department chair. Those accepted register for THTR 397 Honors Studies I and THTR 398 Honors Studies II during their senior year, for a total of 6 hours. The honors project is defined as a production project in acting, design, playwriting, directing, or management/outreach. A supporting paper discussing the concept, execution, and performance of the project must be filed with the director of undergraduate theater studies no later than one week following the project presentation. Preparation of the project will be supervised by a department faculty member. This project may be accepted for honors only if it receives a grade of A from both the project advisor and the Director of Undergraduate Theater Studies. The grade of A must be received both semesters. Students who qualify will receive the notation “Departmental Honors in Theater” on their diplomas. Information about the structure and specific requirements of the honors project is available from the director of undergraduate theater studies.